Craig Currier — Finding the right mix

Managing the News-Review's opinion page is an ongoing effort to find balance, structure and value for you, our readers.

Like so many things in life, it's a work in progress.

We strive for a mix of opinions related to local, state and national issues, while also mixing in talented writers with creative styles and ideas that you can relate to. We incorporate syndicated and guest columnists across vast backgrounds as part of the equation.

We also listen to you for suggestions and feedback, which helps us re-center ourselves and make changes.

In recent weeks, we incorporated weekly syndicated columns from The Washington Post's Kathleen Parker and George F. Will, both of whom write from politically conservative leaning viewpoints.

This week, we'll add regular monthly columns from Lou Zako, a semi-retired doctor from Harbor Springs who was recently named vice chairman of the Emmet County Republican Party. Zako will be contributing commentary on various public policy issues, the first such being a two-part series about replacing the Affordable Care Act.

Zako and his wife, Mary Jane, moved from Ann Arbor to Harbor Springs in 1994, at which time he entered private practice in Petoskey and Harbor Springs. Prior to that, he was in private practice in the greater Dearborn area for 33 years. He retired from full-time practice in 2007, but has continued to practice part time and intermittently at various medical clinics throughout the U.S., including VA clinics, Native American clinics, rural community health centers, and urban community health centers. Additionally, he has been on four mission trips to Africa in recent years with other members of his parish, New Life Anglican Church, one to Rwanda and three to Ethiopia.

As with all of our guest columnists, Zako's opinions are his own and are not endorsed by myself, the newspaper's editorial board, or the organization in any way.

We add Zako to a list of political columnists that include current and former News-Review staffers, local leaders and the aforementioned syndicated writers. This lineup includes viewpoints from both ends of the political spectrum.

Our hope is to provide you with a variety of opinions on a range of topics — ones that you might agree with wholeheartedly and others that challenge your ideologies.

As we continue working toward that right balance, let us know what you think by sending us an email at petoskeynews@petoskeynews.com. We appreciate your feedback and thanks for reading.